Non-Hindus barred from Gangotri, Mukhba as Uttarakhand weighs wider curbs at temples, ghats

The gates of the Badrinath temple in Chamoli district will reopen on April 23 at 6.15 am, following traditional rituals held at the Tehri royal palace in Narendra Nagar on the occasion of Basant Panchami.

• Non-Hindus barred from entering Gangotri Dham and Mukhba village
• Uttarakhand may restrict non-Hindu entry at Haridwar ghats and sacred cities
• Char Dham shrines to reopen in April after winter break

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Non-Hindus will be barred from entering Gangotri Dham and Mukhba, the winter seat of Goddess Ganga, following a unanimous decision taken by the Shri Gangotri Temple Committee, officials said on Sunday.

According to a release from the Chief Minister’s Office, the restriction will apply to both the shrine and Mukhba village, where the deity is worshipped during winter when the Gangotri temple remains closed due to heavy snowfall.

Shri Gangotri Temple Committee chairman Suresh Semwal said the decision was aimed at preserving the sanctity of the shrine and would be strictly enforced. “The ban on the entry of non-Hindus will remain in force at both Gangotri Dham and Mukhba,” he said.

Meanwhile, Shri Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee chairman Hemant Dwivedi said a proposal to restrict the entry of non-Hindus into Badrinath, Kedarnath, and all temples managed by the committee would be placed before its board at an upcoming meeting.

Separately, the Uttarakhand government is considering restricting the entry of non-Hindus at the 105 ghats of Haridwar, spread across nearly 120 square kilometres. The move follows demands from certain seers and the Ganga Sabha, which oversees the upkeep of Har-ki-Pauri ghat. The state is also weighing a proposal to declare Haridwar and Rishikesh as “sanatan pavitra shehar” (sacred cities).

Earlier, BJP MLA from Kedarnath Asha Nautiyal had called for banning non-Hindus from temple premises, alleging that certain incidents that “malign the image” of Kedarnath Dham were being caused by outsiders. She said the matter needed to be examined seriously and those responsible should be barred from entry.

In a separate development, temple authorities announced the reopening schedule of Char Dham shrines after the winter break. The gates of the Badrinath temple in Chamoli district will reopen on April 23 at 6.15 am, following traditional rituals held at the Tehri royal palace in Narendra Nagar on the occasion of Basant Panchami.

Dwivedi said the auspicious date and time were finalised after consulting the Hindu almanack and the Maharaja of Tehri’s horoscope in the presence of priests and temple officials. The ceremony was attended by Maharaja Manujendra Shah, Maharani Mala Rajya Lakshmi Shah, Rawal Amarnath Namboodiri, and several pilgrimage priests.

The Gangotri and Yamunotri temples in Uttarkashi district will reopen on April 19 on Akshaya Tritiya, while the reopening date for Kedarnath Dham will be announced on Maha Shivratri.